Fourth suspect jailed in Medina County healthcare fraud case

By Zeke MacCormack :
February 11, 2013

A fourth suspect has been arrested in the federal investigation that last September led to charges of healthcare fraud against two former ambulance service administrators and the owner of a billing firm in Medina County.

Robert W. Trouten, a former paramedic at Medina Valley EMS and Community EMS, was charged Friday with theft/embezzlement in connection with health care, court records show.

He is the husband of Sherry Trouten and brother-in-law of Mike Farris, accused of abusing their administrative positions at Medina Valley EMS in Castroville and Community EMS in Hondo to secretly divert service calls to Tejas Ambulance, which Farris established in 2011, and improperly collecting Medicaid and Medicare payments.

The alleged scheme also involved preparing fraudulent billing records by Andey D. Gray, owner of Crown Consulting and Billing, according to authorities.

Robert Trouten, 52, is accused of accepting fraudulent paychecks from both firms, according to the complaint unsealed Monday. Trouten, whose lawyer said he intends to plead not guilty, was released on $20,000 unsecured bond and is due back in court Feb. 22.